Insider claims Maple Leafs are targeting Raddysh, but the reality is messy

As always, the Toronto Maple Leafs are caught up in their endless pursuit of what has eluded them for a long time. That would be an elusive right-shot, puck-moving defenseman. Lately, all the talk has been about Darren Raddysh in Tampa Bay. And again, so-called hockey insider Nick Kypreos (which is more entertaining than logical) leads the charge.

Sounds exciting, sure. But before Maple Leafs fans start putting him in the lineup, there are a few reasons to pump the brakes.

Reason 1: Morgan Rielly isn’t going anywhere

First, the obvious reason is that Morgan Rielly has a no-move clause. And as much as a group of Maple Leafs fans may wish it, you can’t just wave a magic wand and make a legally binding contract disappear. He also has four years left on his contract at $7.5 million per season, and he hasn’t shown any interest in waiving that clause.

So even though Kypreos calls it a done deal, all this talk of ‘clearing space’ for Raddysh? Not that simple. The last thing the Maple Leafs need is a locker room headache because someone misjudged a contract.

Reason 2: Tampa Bay isn’t giving away Raddysh

Here’s another problem: Tampa Bay isn’t in the habit of dealing its top players in free agency. Raddysh is playing like a man possessed this season and the Lightning will almost certainly want to lock him up long-term. If he keeps this pace, his value won’t drop anytime soon. Any Maple Leafs deal will have to be significant, perhaps even blockbuster-level, to get him out of Florida.

Raddysh is coming up on an important season? You can bet he’s going to command big dollars. It is rumored to be worth between $5 and 6 million. That’s a lot to juggle for Toronto, especially with the other contracts already on the books. Even if they bypass Rielly’s cap hit, it’s still a serious bite out of the budget.

The bottom line for the Maple Leafs and Raddysh

On paper, Raddysh seems like a dream come true. He is a defenseman who can skate, pass and score. In reality it is messy. Rielly’s contract, Tampa Bay’s desire to retain him and the potential cost all add up to a pretty steep mountain to climb.

Sometimes the flashy trading ideas are fun to talk about, but they aren’t always practical. The Maple Leafs might want to think carefully before going all-in. The irony of all this is that not long ago, Rielly seemed like the team’s answer to this question. Now he has signed a long-term contract. Funny that the organization tries to dump him not long after.

Related: Maple Leafs Insider Expects Rielly to Sign Trade Point-Per-Game Defenseman